Women&#39;s boot heel construction



y 1955 E. M. HANKO ETAL 3,195,245

WOMEN'S BOOT HEEL CONSTRUCTION Filed March 23. 1961 FIG. 5

INVENTORS WILLIAM B. HANKO 8 BY EMMA M. HANKO 0 9 f 6 g I ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,195,245 WOMENS BOOT HEE CONSTRUCTION Emma M. Hanko and William B. Hanko, both of 2719 Queen Ave., Cleveland, Ohio Filed Mar. 23, 1961, Ser. No. 97,885 7 Claims. (Cl. 36-73) This invention relates to a novel heel construction for womens boots and particularly to a construction which will greatly prolong the useful life of the boot by preventing overly rapid wear of the boot heel.

For some years a problem of considerable consequence has existed in connection with womens elastomeric or plastic boots as a result of the tendency of the shoe heel adapted to fit into the boot to wear through or puncture the boot heel very rapidly, thereby rendering the boot useless. This problem has been aggravated only recently as a result of the growing acceptance by women of very thin, high, spike heels which are quite sharp. More often than not, the spike heels in use today are provided on the bottoms with lifts made of metal or other very hard material. Consequently, these new heels wear through elastomeric or plastic boot heels in a very short time. In fact, there have been reported instances in which a new pair of womens boots have been punctured in the heel in a matter of but a few hours.

It has, in the past, been proposed to solve this problem through the use of various types of inserts which were put into the boot heel to separate the same from the heel of the shoe. Past proposals have not proved to be particularly successful in solving the problem, however, for various reasons. Usually, these inserts have been fiat members and while they have prevented the shoe heel from passing through the bottom of the boot heel, they have not prevented wear along the lateral sides of the heel. Further, the inserts previously proposed have *had a tendency to slip out of place each time the boot was removed. In general, there have also been a considerable number of other shortcomings relative to prior art proposals.

It is an object of this invention to provide a boot heel construction which will prevent rapid wear of the boot heel which would otherwise result from engagement with the spike heel of a shoe.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a boot heel construction of the type described in which a reinforcing socket is provided of metal or other hard material for receiving the spike heel of a shoe adapted to be received within the boot heel.

It is a further object to provide a socket of the type described which is fixed firmly in place within the boot heel to avoid inadvertent displacement thereof each time the boot is removed.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a boot heel construction of the type described in which the socket fits relatively snugly about the boot heel to reduce to a minimum relative lateral movement between the spike heel of the shoe and the socket.

It is another object of the invention to provide, in a boot heel construction of the type described, means to facilitate entry of a shoe heel into the socket.

It is still another object to provide, in one modification, means to reduce or prevent scarring and disfiguration of the shoe heel which is adapted to fit within a boot heel construction embodying the principles of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a womans boot embodying the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal section in enlarged scale of the heel of the womans boot constructed in accordance with the invention;

EJ952 25 Patented July 20, 1965 ice FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation, partly in longitudinal section of the socket member which forms a part of the boot heel construction of this invention;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation, partly in longitudinal section, of a modified socket;

FIG. 6 is a side elevation, partly in longitudinal section, of a further modified socket; and

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal section of a modified heel construction for a womans boot.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, we have shown in FIG. 1 a womans boot or overshoe, indicated generally at It constructed from elastomeric or plastic material and having at the rearward portion thereof, a depending elongated heel 12. Fitted within the boot 10 is a shoe 14 having a relatively thin, high, spiked heel 16 received within the boot heel 12.

The lower portion of the boot heel 12 is provided with a thickened wall section forming a continuous internal flange 18. The flange l8 defines, as seen in FIG. 2 of the drawings, for example, a longitudinally extending bore 20.

Mounted within the bore 20 and engaging the bottom wall of the heel 12 is a cup-shaped socket 24 constructed from metal, such as aluminum, or other suitable material, such as hard'plastic, or the like. The cup-shaped socket 24 preferably is molded to the flange portion 18 and bottom wall 22, or fixed by other suitable bonding means. In some instances, however, it is possible to rely upon friction to maintain the socket member 24 in position.

Suitable means are provided in addition to molding or bonding to insure that the socket member 24 will be always maintained securely in place. The socket shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 and 7, for example, is provided with a frusto-conical external surface 26 which diverges toward the mouth 23 of the heel 12. The flange 18 engages the frusto-conical surface 26 over substantially its entire area thereby to provide a mass of boot heel material located between the lower large diameter edge 30 of the socket 24 and the upper small diameter edge 32 thereof. This construction is designed to prevent upward removal of the socket from the bore 20.

In the modification of FIGS. 5 and 6, the exterior surfaces of the sockets 34 and 36 are generally frusto-conical also but are provided in addition with grooves 38 or rims 40 respectively to define interstices within which the material of which the flange 18 is comprised may be received. These grooves or ribs provide additional insurance against displacement of the socket from its proper position in the boot heel.

As will be noted from an examination of the drawings, socket member 24 includes an annular side wall 25 which defines a bore 42 coaxial with the bore 20 defined by the flange 18 and adapted to receive the end of a shoe heel shown in phantom in FIG. 2 at 44. A generally flat bot tom wall closes the lower end of the bore 42 and rests against the bottom wall 22 of the boot heel 12. To facilitate entry of the shoe heel 44 into the cup-like socket 24, the mouth of the bore 42 is flared as at 46. Similarly, the bore 26 is provided at least at its upper section with a flare so as to form a continuous guide surface 48 leading into the cup-shaped socket member 24.

It is important that the bore 47, of the socket member 24 be sufliciently small in diameter to eliminate the existence of a clearance of appreciable magnitude between the shoe heel 44 and the bore 42. In this way, slope between the shoe heel and the socket member is eliminated and the comfort of the wearer is increased.

The utilization of a substantial thickness of material making up the end wall 22 similarly lends to the wearers amazes characteristics and is particularly ,notable in that it re-- du'ces 'or eliminates entirely scarring of the shoe heel which might otherwise result from rubbing engagement with the hard socket 24.

For ease of descriptionthe invention has been illus trated as being embodied in but a 'few concrete forms.

It will be apparent to one possessing ordinary skill in the art, however, that a number of modifications could be made to the various components of the illustrated froms without at the same time departing from the true spirit of the invention. It is, therefore, ourrdesire to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

We claimL 1. A womens'boot heel construction to prevent rapid wear, 'said construction including a boot heel provided at its lower end with a thickened continuous unlined elastomeric wall section defining a central longitudinally extending boreya bottom wall closing said bore, a cuplike socket member tightly received within the lower portion of said bore defined by said thickened wall section and including a substantially continuous side wall forming a heel receiving socket member here and a socket member bottom wall closing said socket member bore,

said socket member bottom wall resting against the bottom wall of the boot heel, means to facilitate entry of a shoe heel into the bore of said socket member, and means,

to secure said socket member in place within-the bore defined by said thickened continuous wall section which includes an external generally frusto-conical surface provided on the side wall of said 'cuplike'socket member, and converging toward the mouth-of said boot heel, said frust'oconi'cal surface forming said cuplike socket-meme bet with a large diameter-bottom edge and a sm'alldiameter upper edge, said thickened wall section engaging said -frusto-conical surface over a substantial area to provide-a mass of boot heel material located between the top and bottom edges of the socket member to inhibit upward movement of the socket member relative to the bore defined by said thickened wall section.

2. Structure as defined in clai'm 1 in which said'frustoconical surface is provided with means forming interstices within which the material forming said thickened wall s'e'c'tion'is received. v

3. Structure as defined'inclaim 1 in which said means to secure the socket member in place includes means forming interstices within which the material forming said thickened wall section is received.

4. A construction for a boot heel, said construction including an elongated boot heel provided at its lower end with a thickened wall section defining central longitudinally extending bore, a heel bottom wall closing said bore, a hard cuplike socket member including a substantially continuous side wall defining a socket member. shoe heel receiving'bore, said last-named bore being closed at its lower end with a socket member bottom wall, said cuplike socket member being positioned in the bore defined by said thickenedwall section, and means securing the cuplike socket member in place with said socket meme ber bottom wall resting against said heel bottom wall, said socket member heel receiving bore being lined with a relatively thin coating of material like that from'which the boot heel is constructed to prevent scarring of the shoe heel adapted to be fitted'within said socket member heel receiving bore, dimensions of said socket member heel receiving bore and the 'heel of the shoe adapted to be fitted therein being such as to reduce the clearance therebetween to a minimum.

5. Structure as defined in claim 4 in which said cuplike socket member is embedded within the thickened wall section of said boot heel.

6. Structure as defined in claim 4 in which said means to secure said socketrnember in place includes an external generally frusto-conical surface provided on the side wall of cuplike socket member. and convergin'getoward'the mouth of said bootheel, said frusto-conic'al surfaceforming said jcuplike socket member with an upper small-diameter edge and a lower larger diameter edge, said thickened wall section engaging said frusto-conical surface over a substantial area to provide a mass of boot heel material located between said top edge and said bottom edge to inhibit upward movement of said cuplike socket member relative tov the bore formed by said thickened wall section. I,

7. "Structure as defined in claim'ljin'which said means for securing'saidcuplike socket member in place includes bonding means.

References -Gite'd by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,108,572 2/38 Wilkinson 36 7.'1 2,408,564 10/46 Lea 36-7."l 2,946,139 7/6 0 Slade 36-71 2,956,749 1/6 1 Lowengart et .al. 367.1 2,977,691 4/61 'Brown 'et a1. 367.l

JORDAN FRANKLIN; Primary Examiner.

EDWARD V, BENHAM, FRANK I. COHEN,

' Examiners. 

1. A WOMEN''S BOOT HEEL CONSTRUCTION TO PREVENT RAPID WEAR, SAID CONSTRUCTION INCLUDING A BOOT HEEL PROVIDED AT ITS LOWER END WITH A THICKENED CONTINUOUS UNLINED ELASTOMERIC WALL SECTION DEFINING A CENTRAL LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING BORE, A BOTTOM WALL CLOSING SAID BORE, A CUPLIKE SOCKET MEMBER TIGHTLY RECEIVED WITHIN THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID BORE DEFINED BY SAID THICKENED WALL SECTION AND INCLUDING A SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS SIDE WALL SECTION ING A HEEL RECEIVING SOCKET MEMBER BORE AND A SOCKET MEMBER BOTTOM WALL CLOSING SAID SOCKET MEMBER BORE, SAID SOCKET MEMBER BOTTOM WALL RESTING AGAINST THE BOTTOM WALL OF THE BOOT HEEL, MEANS TO FACILITATE ENTRY OF A SHOE HEEL INTO THE BORE OF SAID SOCKET MEMBER, AND MEANS TO SECURE SAID SOCKET MEMBER IN PLACE WITHIN THE BORE DEFINED BY SAID THICKENED CONTINUOUS WALL SECTION WHICH INCLUDES AN EXTERNAL GENERALLY FRUSTO-CONICAL SURFACE PROVIDED ON THE SIDE WALL OF SAID CUPLIKE SOCKET MEMBER, AND CONVERGING TOWARD THE MOUTH OF SAID BOOT HEEL, SAID FRUSTO-CONICAL SURFACE FORMING SAID CUPLIKE SOCKET MEMBER WITH A LARGE DIAMETER BOTTOM EDGE AND A SMALL DIAMETER UPPER EDGE, SAID THICKENED WALL SECTION ENGAGING SAID FRUSTO-CONICAL SURFACE OVER A SUBSTANTIAL AREA TO PROVIDE A MASS OF BOOT HEEL MATERIAL LOCATED BETWEEN THE TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES OF THE SOCKET MEMBER TO INHIBIT UPWARD MOVEMENT OF THE SOCKET MEMBER RELATIVE TO THE BORE DEFINED BY SAID THICKENED WALL SECTION. 